What will happen to those who hold other religious beliefs at the second coming of Christ?

Although there are many religious beliefs in the world, the Bible declares that “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The plan of salvation offered through Jesus Christ (1) glorifies God as moral ruler, (2) upholds God’s law as the rule of government, (3) provides, through the vicarious atonement, for the needs of men as sinners, who are otherwise under God’s condemnation.

Christ is our connection to heaven. Because of His incarnation and death “a new and living way” has been consecrated for us (Hebrews 10:20). “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

For this reason, Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). No other person on earth like Confucius, Buddha, Mohammad, Gandhi, or Krishna, etc, can make this claim.

Anyone who accepts Christ’s free offer of salvation will be saved: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name“ (John 1:12). But those who chose to reject Christ and continue in sin take the side of Satan, who will be destroyed for all the damage that he has done (Psalm 34:21).

In the past ages those that didn’t hear about Jesus and held different beliefs will be judged according to the light they receive from heaven (Romans 1:20). But just before the second coming, everyone will have the chance to hear about God’s love. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). If people choose then to ignore God’s love and the knowledge of the truth, they will be judged accordingly (James 4:17).

Therefore now is for salvation and, “God…commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Jesus] whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).